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Talk:Erellont

What do you think? Should we have these three mariners in both Cat:Elves and Cat:Men, or in none? (EoA has Men, and Valarguild.org has both).--Morgan 18:51, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

First, the 3 mariners' names don't decide the matter. Erellont might be Sindarin or not, Aerandir is Sindarin, and Falathar is at least half-Sindarin. If their names were strictly Mannish then they'd almost certainly be Men because there's no instance (that I know) where an Elf used an Mannish name. However Elves used Sindarin names and Men often did too, so there's no deciding just on this point.

Second, the Encyclopedia of Arda may have chosen Men because Eärendil warned them not to set foot on the shore of Aman when they arrived or else they would "fall under the wrath of the Valar". EoA may be thinking of the Downfall and the ban laid upon the Númenóreans. But at the time all members of both Kindreds were denied entry to the Blessed Realm so this doesn't determine the 3 mariners' race either.

However, Tuor was the first man to see the ocean in First Age 495. Eärendil went looking for Valinor in First Age 534. That means that there were only 39 years for Men to get to the ocean, learn about sailing, and become proficient enough sailors for Eärendil to choose them instead of Elves for his companions. Since Eärendil was the leader of the Elves at the Havens of Sirion it seems far more likely that he chose skilled Elvish mariners to accompany him since there probably weren't any Men around.

My vote is leave them without a category, or create a category for characters whose race is not mentioned in narration, like Bombadil, Gothmog and other names of Bree who could be Men or Hobbits Sage 07:24, 7 April 2011 (UTC)